Reviews and Comments

For a topic I would have expected to be incredibly dry, this was anything but.

I consider myself pretty uneducated in both geography and modern history, and this book was a super interesting mix of both.

A good trip around Europe telling real history, as well as analysing the effect of borderlines. Aside from some of the obvious ones (Germany, for example), I found Baarle a bright spot in the book. I had no idea how insane their border is and hadn't really thought how things like Covid restrictions and parking would work.

I hope the author writes more books in this vein.

Extremely short read - I enjoyed it but I think I will watch the film and see if it lands better.

A bittersweet mix of day to day life and a story centering around a womens workhouse. I think I would have liked a bit more depth.

It's interesting to consider self-interest, complicity, and silence, when confronted with things we would say we disagree with.

I was recommended this one and I was extremely skeptical because I generally dislike stories that revolve around time manipulation.

This was great though - following a soldier through a war which due to time dilation meant civilisation was progressing a magnitude faster than they were experiencing. A good mix of action and story.

I know this was a commentary on Vietnam, and I feel extremely ill informed on it so I won't review that aspect. It does feel like the central tenents still apply to most wars.

It felt like sexuality played a larger part in the story that I would have expected, but as a stand in for societal change and disconnection it's an interesting reflection tool.

I never found anybody else and I don't want anybody else...

A lesson not to judge a book by its film adaptation.

This was a quick read - a story of the last person in a world of "vampires". A compelling picture of psychology and discussion of what it even means to be human. Some stream of consciousness writing really connects you to the main character.

I loved the ending.

This was amazing. Quite a small cast of characters covering a plot that starts with leukocytes gaining the intelligence of laboratory rats. By the end (I want to say more, but I won't) - the story has developed so much further than that.

I devoured this, and it's quite a short read. There was a paragraph about 3/4 of the way through where I expected it to end. I'm not totally sold on where the book went right at the end, but it didn't detract from the story.

An interesting insight into messing with things we don't understand, and makes me think of pandora's box.

Loved this. A story across time connected by water. The theme of water having memory. Identity, cultural identity, ownership and story telling. Climate change, war, theft, genocide, abuse - all touched on.

Incredibly well written with distinct characters, and enough historical context that you don't get lost in the story. I never felt like it was trying to do too much or I was struggling to follow three stories at once - it felt like one story.

I enjoyed jumping back to 1840s London to follow Arthur's quest but I think the plot 2014 / 2018 is the most gripping.

I also enjoyed the authors note at the end which covered what was fact and fiction and highlighted changes made for the sake of the story.

I enjoyed this as a journey across different topics linked by the theme of gardens. It wasn't really what I expected but it was pleasant.

I feel like I missed out a bit by not having read a lot of the texts Laing references, even if I'm vaguely aware of their cultural significance and themes. Paradise Lost is probably the big one - though I had at least read The Secret Garden.

I've seen other reviews call this book dull, but at no point was I bored. Laing clearly had points she wanted to get across and at some points the links were quite tenuous.

Compelling coverage of the enclosure acts, the slave trade, fascist Italy.

I'm not really sure what it is I've read. A chronicle of generation rent cast as a ghost story - trials of mental health, gaslighting, relationships, and self doubt.

I enjoyed this, though I think enjoyed is probably the wrong word. It had a rich atmosphere, but I would have enjoyed a bit more depth on most of the themes, or possibly it could have been shorter.

I enjoyed the self-talk justification of why other people know better or are obviously right and you are wrong.

The main character was interesting and generally likable. Slow at times - a darkly gothic reflection of our electrically lit relationship with where we live.

Humanity lands on a gas giant and encounters alien life vastly different from ours. This split POV book alternates between human survivors and the aliens.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. The different perspectives worked well together, creating a compelling narrative. It depicts a persistent, efficiency-driven corporate human future alongside a naive but increasingly comprehending alien gestalt.

However, the ending was a bit difficult for me. On the one hand, it was a satisfying conclusion that left me eager to speculate about what might happen next. On the other hand, I felt like I wanted more. I’m not sure if there will be more books in the series, but I read it assuming it was a standalone novel.

Continuing with my exploration of Tchaikovsky’s books, I was surprised to discover that he wrote “proper” fantasy. The plot follows a quest to destroy a dark lord, accompanied by a giant spider transformed into human form.

This book delves into Tchaikovsky’s unique ability to write from non-human perspectives, and I was pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed it. There’s a touch of humour here, though it’s reminiscent of watching people play Dungeons & Dragons. I enjoyed some of the twists and turns, and I would definitely be interested in reading more books in this genre.

It reminded me a bit of Abercrombie’s “Devils,” which I recently read.

I’ve been picking up random Tchaikovsky novels, and this one particularly charmed me. It’s a comedic, almost satirical take on a potential future with AI and robots.

The book explores various themes related to the value of work, what truly matters, and the perspectives of humanity from an outsider’s point of view. It’s also enjoyable to have an AI as a point-of-view character, as we grapple with the flaws in their directives and assumptions made by their programmers.

This book is quite a quick read, but it does delve into darker themes at times. I highly recommend it.

I’ve read this book twice, and I’m torn about it. It’s a massive book, and I felt like not enough happened to justify its length.

I have a feeling this is going to end up as a classic case of middle book syndrome. Pullman clearly has a destination in mind, but I think he struggled a bit in this book to make the journey as engaging as it should be.

The conflict between Pan and Lyra felt drawn out and forced. Perhaps I should have reread Northern Lights to be fair to the plot.

I enjoyed Malcolm’s plot, as well as the glimpse into how various adults in the series deal with life with the Magisterium. It was a disappointment compared to the first book, but still worth a read for fans of the series.

I’m reading this for the second time, and I absolutely love it. The small-scale setting, mostly Oxford-based, combined with Pullman’s gift for description and ability to craft unique, interesting characters made it a winner for me. I’m a bit sad that the next book in the series jumps to after the Northern Lights. I’d love a few books exploring that time a bit more.

Reading again, having read 1984 and other books in that vein, I could feel a lot more of the connections and inspiration Pullman has taken, especially compared to reading Northern Lights as a kid.

I was hoping this would grab me and feel something like a Shardlake story or have a similar vibe to Pillars of the Earth. I enjoyed it, but it didn’t hit in the same way.

Impressive for a first novel, I’d probably try any others he writes. I didn’t really enjoy any of the characters, and I felt that while the plot was interesting (especially as it’s based on true events), it was lacking something either in scale or depth to keep the pages turning.

That said, it was an easy read, and I’d probably recommend it to fans of historical fiction looking for something new to try.